When my husband and I found out we were having twins we were thrilled, we had never imagined we would be having twins. Talk about best shock of our lives. We walked out of the doctor’s office excited and anxious but during the car ride home the panic crept in. While my husband had visions of University tuition dancing around in his brain, all I could think was I. Am. Never. Going. To. Sleep. Again.

Yes my twins were my first set of twin clients, since then of course I’ve gone on to helping countless other multiples, but the first time around can and did appear completely, and utterly terrifying. Fear not multiple mom’s and dad’s, the basic fundamentals of healthy sleep are the same, whether you’re dealing with one baby or two babies. We still need to focus on the 5 Sleep Basics: Sleep Routine, Early Bedtime, Naps, Manage Sleep Associations, and Consistency. With multiples it’s all how you execute your plan, as well as consistency and organization has never been more important than now. Here are a few tips to help you down the right road.

Keep Them on the Same Routine – I’m sure you’ve heard this before. Well it’s true! You want to get into the habit of putting them on the same sleep and feeding schedule right from the start. If one wakes up, then wake the other no later than half an hour later. You’ll want to put them back down at the same time and if you don’t wake the sleeper up to keep them on the same routine as the non sleeper, you’re always going to have a baby awake with you, and really, where’s the fun in that! Many twin moms I speak with struggle because a lot of the times they are on their own at bedtime because husbands are working. When it’s just you don’t worry too much about having them exactly on the same schedule in regards to when they sleep and eat. A half an hour difference is no big deal.

Stay Organized! – Some of you may not agree and may think it’s not necessary but if you are that person that needs some control in life when it’s almost impossible to have any, you have to stay organized. I found that having every half hour accounted for something made things easier. I scheduled in cooking, cleaning, laundry (washing, folding, putting away), SLEEPING, showers, brushing my teeth (yes it was scheduled), feeding babies, sleeping babies, playing with babies, feeding toddlers, sleeping toddlers, playing with toddlers, EVERYTHING was scheduled in. It had to be. But that was what I needed to do. While I do recommend it, you may not feel it necessary to shower or brush your teeth everyday, or have clean clothes to wear. That’s cool. Whatever works for you 🙂

Keep Them in the Same Room – If you want to or unable to separate them then keeping them in the same room is okay. If they are in the same crib I would recommend putting them into their own cribs around 4 months of age. At this point they start moving around more and trying to roll over and they could start waking each other up. If one cries don’t panic! Don’t feel like you have to spilt them up. They will get used to each other’s sounds and cries and this is something you want to encourag. For the most part the other will sleep through it.

Get Help! – I can’t stress this enough. Husbands need to get on board when dealing with twins. It can’t always be you and two babies. You need the help and your need the relief every now and then. Your babies and the rest of your family need you strong and healthy, don’t try to take it on yourself. If you are fortunate to have grandparents around or other family then enlist them too! Especially if you are dealing with other children as well. At least the grandparents can help with your toddler while you deal with the babies.

One Day You Need to Take a Chance – Even knowing what I know and doing what I do I was terrified of letting the night just play out. I knew I had to. And I tell parents to do it all the time. Don’t wake a baby in the middle of the night to feed them. They will naturally push out these feeds themselves but we have to give them a chance to do it. I was so scared of both babies waking at the same time and screaming their heads off because they were hungry. One screaming baby – not fun. Two screaming babies – not possible! So I was waking them to feed them for their 2am feed until one day I said this needs to stop! It may have meant I was going to be up all night for a few nights because they may not be on the same schedule for night feedings but so be it. And that’s all it took. 2 nights and that 2am feed was gone and they were sleeping through. Yes guys, it can be that easy just by simply giving them the chance to self soothe and stopping interfering with their sleep!

So those are my top 5 tips on surviving the first few months of twindom. Here is what you have to remember, you will get through it! It may be double or triple the work but it’s also double or triple the love. It really doesn’t get much better then that. It may not seem it at the time but enjoy your newborn twins who sleep a lot and eat a lot because in a year or so they are going to be walking a lot, climbing a lot, talking a lot, and fighting a lot. But you’ll survive that too 🙂

I’m going to start at the beginning. This tip is even before you start worrying about sleep, okay never mind, tell me you didn’t start worrying about sleep the second you found out you were having twins! No this tip is when you get home from the hospital and you have two babies, the same age side by side and then it starts. The CONSTANT comparison. Everyone tells you not to do it and you know you shouldn’t, you understand the rationale, but it’s soooo easy to do.

With my twins – Twin A – Lila, Twin B – Duncan, they were different right from the start. While in the womb Lila was the bully 🙂 She stole all the food and took up all the room. Poor little Duncan was squished right under my ribs while Miss Lila was sprawled out, enjoying the time. We had a 3D ultrasound and I swear we saw Lila kicking poor little D in the head :(. When it was time to meet your little bundles, Lila came out screaming, Duncan came out calm and quiet. This speaks volumes in what their personality is now. Lila was awake and alert the first few days, while Duncan remained my chill little dude and barely opened his eyes.

When you have more then 1 child, it’s what you do. You compare the new baby to your other children. Well when you have two of the same age it’s almost impossible not to compare. Why did Lila seem so much more alert? Why did Duncan eat more? Why was Duncan so much easier to soothe, and why is he sleeping all the time? She doesn’t?? I was driving myself crazy. Lila is doing this but Duncan’s not. I wonder when Lila will start this and what’s wrong with her that she hasn’t?? I was going crazy, and I was driving everyone else crazy around me, doctors and all.

It wasn’t until they both got a bit older, maybe a few months old, that I started to relax and realized they are both perfectly fine and will master certain skills at different times and display different personalities, because they are different children. My Lila is my spit fire. She yells the loudest, laughs the loudest, and can never sit still. My Duncan is my calm, cool, collective little guy. He is shy and always full of smiles. Lila was the first to crawl and walk, while Duncan was the first to talk and sleep through the night :). Lila follows me around everywhere I go (I secretly love it) but try and get a snuggle from this kid, forget it. She always has to be moving. Whereas Duncan is my sit quietly and play boy, but he is the first to give you cuddles and kisses – LOVE it.

So they are both very different and I’m thankful for those differences because it allows me to constantly be learning new things about them every day and how boring would it be if they were both bang on the same!

Take a deep breath moms and dads of multiples. One may be in the lead on a new milestone or throughout life’s adventures, but the other one always catches up. My three children, all very different and thank goodness for that!

When I’m writing Sleep Plans for parents I don’t just include the sleep schedule. The uniqueness of my plans provides both a feeding and sleeping schedule for my parents and baby, which is why when I saw this amazing new product I fell in love. The aden+ anais Serenity Star is an electronic feeding and sleeping system that combines every nursery essentials into one functional, modern 5-point star design. This is it guys. The one-stop-shop of every nursery must-have. All rolled into one gorgeous design.

The Serenity Star includes:

Electronic Feeding Diary: Moms can record feeding start times and which side (L or R) baby last fed from (if nursing). All the information is displayed on the easy to read LCD screen, paired with a handy 12-hour AM/PM clock. Even the most tired of moms can record and remember this information, thanks to the Serenity Stars easy functions and display.

Sound Machine: plays four soothing sounds including 2 lullabies, heartbeat, and white noise that can be set for 30 minutes, 60 minutes, or for continuous play, all creating a perfectly peaceful environment.

Room Temperature Indicator/Nightlight: When the nursery is at an ideal temperature, it emits a soft white glow for the perfect nightlight. If the room temperature rise above 23.3 degrees Celsius, the glow will turn red to indicate the room is warmer than recommended. If it drops below 17.7 degrees Celsius, the Serenity Star will emanate a blue glow as a recommendation to adjust the room temperature and/or the baby’s clothing.

Portable: compact size, dual plug-in and battery-powered operation makes it perfect for travel. Leave all the other gadgets at home! All you need is this.

This is an amazing addition to your nursery and the perfect present for a mom-to-be. This is the first system to combine the variety of helpful feeding and sleep aids, all in one, which contributes to peace of mind for you.

When I had my first daughter I wanted to start out right with her. I began to second-guess all that was around me. What cleaner did I use on the floors she would be crawling on? What was in the laundry detergent I’d be washing her clothes in? Recycling today would help her world in the future. It was time. My world, my home, needed a change and it needed to happen now.

So began my journey. I spoke to whomever I could. My friend Google and Facebook helped me with my research. Throughout Operation “Change My Ways” the words “phosphates” and “formaldehydes” kept jumping out at me. It was time for a major overhaul. Out came the cardboard box and in it went pretty much everything under the sink and in the laundry room. Gone was the “no tears” baby shampoo and “made with natural oatmeal” baby creams. While I wasn’t quite ready for the bottle of vinegar and water as my new kitchen cleaner (I’ve since converted and love it) I tried to make the best “green” choices as I could.

It was all natural for my offspring. Natural cleaners, natural shampoos and creams. I felt good about my choices for my new baby and it continued when I had my twins. Then one day it hit me. I’m making all the right choices for my kids, why can’t I do the same for myself? I had yet to part with all my “necessities” and natural wasn’t in the ingrediants. As a work at home mom of 3 with her own business, I didn’t have time to go here, and order there for my kids. Source out and try multiple “natural” shampoos and conditioners that can still tame my unruly mop. I wanted to be able to go to one company where I could go for the whole family. One that I could trust their products and what they stood for.

And I got lucky. I not only found one company…I found two…two companies and two lovely ladies.

The first is Neal’s Yard Remedies, sold by the amazing Grace Moores. NYR celebrates over 30 years of natural and organic health and beauty products, all independently certified organic by the Soil Association. While all their products are amazing there are two that are perfect for mom and baby in these hot summer months.

A great product for your little ones this summer is NYR’s Baby Balm. Not only is it 100% natural, it is also 100% organic. With only 4 ingredients it’s safe to use on infants, children and adults and is must have for your home. It protects and calms the skin with a combination of gentle, moisturizing ingredients, including olive oil, coconut oil and shea nut butter. This product is fantastic on dry, wind/ sunburn or chaffed areas such as the face, body, bottom. Unscented so mom, (and dad!) can also use it on their work worn hands and dry skin. It can also be used for cradle cap, rashes, lip balm, a diaper barrier, dry hands, feet, elbows and knees, plus helps heal minor cuts and burns. Clear out the medicine cabinet. All you need is the Baby Balm! Available at Health Centre of Milton.

**Tip** Add a drop of eucalyptus essential oil and you have an effective vapor rub for those over 6 years of age.

And Moms who love to garden, NYR’s Garden Mint & Bergamot Hand Lotion is a must for hot days. The Aloe Vera and Garden Mint arecooling to the skin, and simply apply it to the back of your neck and hands to feel refreshed and hydrated. Its non-greasy and certified 95% organic. Available at In the Ville in Campbellville.

My next fabulous find and fab lady is Olivier Soaps sold by Pamela Wood. Olivier Soap is a family-owned and family run company that hand-crafts olive, cocoa and coconut oils into extraordinary skin care products. The best part is their products contain absolutely no harsh chemicals, animal fats, artificial coloring or alcohol-based aromas.

My first choice is Olivier Mon Bebe Soap. Mon Bebe soap is a SAFE soft and creamy soap for babies and kids of all ages! It contains powerful moisturizing ingredients such as cocoa butter, olive oil, calendula and sweet almond oil to penetrate your child’s skin and scalp. Great for all kinds of skin conditions too. It can be used all over including your child’s hair! It smells amazing and the best part is that it does not contain any chemicals, toxins or animal fats.

And mom’s I didn’t forget about you! Olivier’s Femme Day Cream is Olivier’s top seller. It is so soft and light! Perfect for summer! The combination of all natural ingredients in this cream make it a powerful tool for anti-aging, wrinkles, sensitive and dry skin, acne and oily skin. It is an astringent that helps to tighten and close the pores, sealing in moisture. This product contains carrot seed oil, which is known to naturally help your skin to protect itself from the sun.

Whenever I find products that I love and I think you’ll love too I’ll be sure to share it with you all. Have a product you love? Share it with me 🙂 My next fab product is one to help with all the nursery and baby struggles…it will also help with sleep…stay tuned…

I have finally joined the blogging world and I’m going to make this first post short and sweet. Those who follow me on Facebook know I don’t only talk sleep – how boring would that be! Of course sleep will be a predominant topic, but I’ll also be continuing to share fun finds, valuable mommy information, and random thoughts (and I have many). Here we go!